"It's my duty to get back at it" - Shinya Aoki on his quick turnaround from ONE X to ONE 157

Japanese MMA legend, Shinya Aoki nonchalantly explained his quick turnaround from ONE X to ONE 157 using nine simple words: “It’s my duty to just get back at it.”

The former ONE lightweight champion is fighting in a submission grappling bout fifty-five days after suffering an upset loss at the hands of “Sexyama” Yoshihito Akiyama at ONE X.

Sportskeeda interviewer Dylan Bowker asked 'Tobikan Judan', as he is nicknamed, why he felt it was important to have a quick turn around since his last bout.

Aoki replied with:

“I just feel like it's another job. Yeah, it’s my duty to get back at it.”

Listen to the full interview below:

Even after coming off a humbling defeat against Akiyama at ONE X, Aoki feels like it’s his responsibility as a professional MMA fighter to continue business as usual.

Nothing could have been more inspiring than when the grappling veteran took to Instagram a few days after the fight to post this photo.

The translated caption from Instagram reads:

"The human heart can never be like a shield to hardship. Man is pitiful, frail, and therefore rich, but too weak to crush."

The former champion hasn't dwelled on the past and it will take more than manpower to dampen his spirits.

---

Not Shinya Aoki’s first quick turnaround nor the last

The last time MMA fans were treated to a quick turnaround by Shinya Aoki was back in 2019.

After winning the belt when he submitted Eduard Folayang with an arm triangle choke at ONE: A New Era, Aoki waited no more than two months before defending the belt against the No.1-contender, Christian Lee.

Jay Anderson of Cageside Press wrote about the phenomenon below:

"Newly crowned lightweight champion Shinya Aoki will defend the belt he won at the end of March against Christian Lee at the card in Singapore. That’s a quick turnaround, barely six weeks for the Japanese fighter."

Christian Lee made MMA news headlines around the world when he impressively knocked out the Japanese legend in the second round to become the new lightweight champion.

Relive the epic battle between Shinya Aoki and Christian Lee here:

But despite the losses, Aoki continues to work overtime. He’s remained active in the sport for more than 20 years and shows no sign of slowing down.